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Milling and paving of four blocks of Washington Street between Observer Highway and 3rd Street is scheduled to take place the week of December 4th, weather permitting. Expected hours of operation are 8:00am to 7:30pm. Efforts will be made to maintain vehicular traffic where possible, however road closures will be required at times.

During construction, NJ Transit buses will operate on a detour. Buses heading toward Hoboken Terminal will travel south along Washington Street, detour east on 5th Street, and south on Hudson Street. Buses heading towards New York will leave the bus terminal from Observer Highway, turn north on Bloomfield Street, turn east on 5th Street, and continue north on Washington Street along the regular route.

To facilitate bus detours, parking will be prohibited on both sides of 5th Street between Bloomfield Street and Hudson Street as well as on both sides of Bloomfield Street near Observer Highway and Hudson Street near 5th Street. Police will be on hand to help direct traffic.

This fall, Hudson Bike Share, the public bike share program operating in Hoboken, will add 260 new bikes and 35 new stations throughout Guttenberg, North Bergen, Weehawken, Bayonne and West New York. The program is growing from its initial 250 bikes and 29 stations at launch to 560 bikes and over 65 stations across six cities.

The managing partner of the program, P3 Global Management – a subsidiary of European Parking & Smart Mobility leader EYSA -, announced this week that it will begin the expansion this fall.

“We are extremely excited to start the expansion of our bike share program in Hudson County” said Carlos Pujol, CEO of P3 Global Management. “A New Jersey program, conceived to serve the needs of local Hudson County residents, has logged over 300,000 rides since its inception in 2015. The program is now expanding to Guttenberg, North Bergen, Weehawken, Bayonne and West New York, thereby connecting the Hudson water front and effectively enabling short intercity commutes as well as leisure rides. One membership, multiple cities. We’re excited to provide this service for the people of Hudson County, and appreciate their support. We look forward to bringing additional bikes and stations in the year ahead.”

With a focus on innovation, P3GM funds and project manages leading edge technology implementations such as bike sharing programs, LED lighting and sensory applications, WI-FI networks, smart parking optimization, interactive way finding kiosks, electric charging stations, and other sustainability solutions improving the quality of life and economic opportunities for cities in the United States and abroad.

Hudson Bike Share continues to grow not only on the map but in rides and membership as well. The program will celebrate its second anniversary this month, and this summer saw the highest ridership rates to date with over 20,000 members. On August 2nd of this year, the program had its highest daily ridership with 894 rides.

“With over 300,000 trips and 20,000 registered users, we are thrilled with the success of Hudson Bike Share in Hoboken and look forward to its expansion into a six-city program,” said Hoboken Mayor Dawn Zimmer. “As the program nearly doubles in size to 560 bikes, it will become one of the largest bike share systems in the country and will provide the residents and visitors of our region with a healthy, environmentally-friendly way to commute, run errands, or exercise.”

The program partners with NextBike, a bike share company that operates in over 125 cities in 25 countries around the globe. NextBike manages the ground operations and provides the equipment and technology for the system.

“Hudson Bike Share has become an integral part of the Hoboken mobility ecosystem, and NextBike is thrilled to be transforming it into a regional system with our partners” said NextBike’s North America Business Operations Manager, Krysia Solheim. “We look forward to finding new ways to engage more residents and continuing to empower people from all different backgrounds to move in a healthy, affordable, quick, and environmentally responsible manner.”

Users can register online or download the NextBike app. The cost of the program is $95 per year or $12.95 a month and includes unlimited 45-minute trips. Riders can also choose a pay-as-you-go option for $2 per 30-minute ride. Hoboken Housing Authority residents and Section 8 voucher recipients are eligible for free memberships. The expansion of the program will allow access to more Hudson County residents while providing a strong and reliable service for users of all types.

“We are excited to help increase mobility and connectivity for the residents of West New York,” said Mayor Felix E. Roque, M.D. “From reducing traffic congestion to promoting a healthy lifestyle in an easy, inexpensive way, the benefits of partnering with Hudson Bikeshare are enormous and the expansion into North Hudson shows demand is there. We are proud to offer an environmentally friendly and convenient alternative for our residents to move around Town.”

Hudson Bike Share remains committed to the continued expansion of the program, and plans to further the expansion beyond Bayonne, Guttenberg, North Bergen, Weehawken, and West New York in 2018.

“We’re partnered with several Mayoral administrations, City Council members and business leaders across Hudson County to create a single bike share system that members can use in any of the participating municipalities with further expansion coming spring 2018” said James F. Murphy, Vice President of Business Development, and Community Relations for P3 Global Management

Riders can use a smart phone or key card to unlock bicycles at any of the stations in the system. Once rented, the user will be given a code to unlock the bike, and begin their 30 or 45-minute ride. The highlight of the system is the ability to park the bikes temporarily, as well as the ability for users to end their trip at a station that is already full. This feature, which is lacking in prior-generation bike sharing models, allows users to make stops mid-trip and eliminates the frustration of arriving at an already full station.

Newark Street between Henderson Street (Marin Boulevard) and Harrison Street is scheduled to be milled and paved on Friday, September 15 and Saturday, September 16.

Milling work will begin on Friday at 9am to avoid peak hour traffic, however drivers should expect delays and are urged to avoid the area if possible. Police will be on hand to direct traffic. Efforts will be made to maintain travel lanes where possible, however road closures will be required. Paving operations are scheduled to begin at 8am on Saturday, September 16, weather permitting. The rain date for paving is Monday, September 18.

The roadway will be striped consistent with the Southwest Traffic Improvement Plan (http://hobokennj.gov/content/wp-content/uploads/SW-Traffic-Improvement-Plan.jpg). The plan includes the addition of a turning lane onto Madison Street and traffic signal at Madison Street and Observer Highway to create an entry point into southern Hoboken. The new Madison Street signal is scheduled to be set to flashing mode on Thursday and be fully operational on Monday, September 18.

The City of Hoboken has opened the Northwest Pop-Up Park located at 12th Street and Adams Street and a new, temporary 90-space municipal parking lot located at 1301 Jefferson Street.

“The opening of this park is a milestone moment for Hoboken,” said Mayor Dawn Zimmer. “My vision has always been for every Hoboken resident to be within a short walk to a park, and this new park adds much needed open space to western Hoboken. We followed a very strategic approach to achieve this goal that began with the acquisition of Block 12 for the Southwest Park and using all tools necessary, including the authorization for eminent domain.”

“Long-term, the property will become a 5.4-acre ‘resiliency park’ that will also play an important role in protecting Hoboken from flooding by incorporating green infrastructure and at least 1 million gallons of underground stormwater detention,” explained Mayor Zimmer.

Along with Hoboken’s largest park, the project will also include the construction of a new parking garage, which could incorporate community amenities such as urban farming, recreation facilities, innovation space, and ground floor retail. The park and garage will be designed as one project to ensure an integrated design that meets the needs of the community.

For now, the temporary parking lot at 1301 Jefferson Street is available for monthly parking at a rate of $195 per month. Spaces will also be set aside for discounted “park-and-work” daily debit parking for business owners and employees at a flat rate of $5 for any 12 hour period. The City created the park-and-work daily debit option for businesses as a less expensive alternative to feeding the meter (which is illegal) that also preserves valuable on-street parking for customers. The parking lot uses license plate recognition technology that will automatically open and close the gate for registered vehicles. Registered business employees will automatically be charged $5 upon entering the lot. The lot will be unattended and unregistered vehicles will not have access. To apply for access to the parking lot, complete the application at https://hoboken.seamlessdocs.com/f/1301jefferson.

The community design process is expected to begin this fall and will take 18 to 24 months. A temporary pop-up park and parking lot have been opened in order to make use of the property during the expected 2-year planning, engineering, and permitting process. An additional portion of the property is being used as a staging area by the City’s contractor for the Washington Street water main upgrade project.

The City of Hoboken has been awarded a $451,000 Transportation Alternatives Program grant for the Newark Street safety improvement project.

In addition to a new All-Way Stop sign recently installed at Grand Street, the project includes curb extensions at corners to reduce pedestrian crossing distances and vehicle turning speeds and enhance visibility at conflict points, the addition of loading zones to accommodate deliveries, additional crosswalks including a mid-block crosswalk with a pedestrian refuge island between Jefferson Street and Adams Street, a physically separated eastbound bike lane along the south side of the street, and Rectangular Rapid Flash Beacon (RRFB) signs to enhance the frequency of drivers stopping for pedestrians at crosswalks.

Thank you to the NJDOT and the North Jersey Transportation Planning Authority and all of the residents and community groups who wrote letters of support for the grant application.

Crews are scheduled to conduct milling, paving, and striping work on Saturday, July 1st on various roads in Southwest Hoboken as part of the Southwest Traffic Circulation Plan.

Construction will require the closure of streets including New York Avenue, Observer Highway, Jackson Street, and Harrison Street. Work will also take place on Jersey Avenue and Newark Street, however Jersey Avenue and Newark Street are expected to remain open to traffic. In order to minimize traffic disruptions, work has been scheduled to take place in Hoboken on Saturday, July 1st from 8:30am until the work is complete at approximately 4:00pm.

The work will include the milling, paving, and striping of the intersections of Jackson Street and Observer Highway and Harrison Street and Observer Highway as well as Jackson Street from Observer Highway to Paterson Ave and Observer Highway from Harrison Avenue to the Jersey City boundary. In addition, striping work will take place on Jersey Avenue and Newark Street from 18th Street to Jackson Street as well as on Jackson Street from Newark Street to Paterson Avenue.

The City of Hoboken is coordinating the project with Jersey City. The portion of the work in Jersey City on Jersey Avenue will commence at 6:00 a.m. and is expected to be completed by 9:00 a.m. The striping work on Jersey Avenue is not anticipated to require closures.

To coincide with the planned repaving and striping, the City of Hoboken has begun installing the poles and signal heads for two new traffic signals at Jackson Street and Observer Highway and Harrison Street and Observer Highway. The work is expected to last a few weeks, weather permitting.

Municipal Budget Includes 1.25% Tax Cut
On Wednesday, May 17, the Hoboken City Council unanimously adopted the 2017 municipal budget which includes a 1.25% reduction in the municipal tax rate.

“I am proud that for the 7th year in a row, we have held the line on our municipal taxes while dramatically improving our credit rating and making investments in our infrastructure including open space, water mains, flood resiliency, energy, and roads,” said Mayor Dawn Zimmer. “Thank you to Business Administrator Stephen Marks, Finance Director Linda Landolfi and the entire finance team, and the City Council for working together on this budget.”

Newark Street Safety Improvement Project
The City Council also adopted the Newark Street safety improvement plan (View the plan: www.hobokennj.gov/newarkstreet/). In addition to the adopted plan, the City will be incorporating an All-Way Stop Sign at the corner of Newark Street and Grand Street, following a determination by Hudson County that a stop sign is warranted at the intersection.

Construction to Begin for New Signal for Southwest Traffic Plan
Starting on Monday, May 22nd, construction is expected to begin on the new traffic signal at Jackson Street and Observer Highway, one of the elements of the Southwest Traffic Improvement Plan (View the plan: www.hobokennj.gov/swcirculationplan/). Construction will take place Monday through Friday from approximately 9am to 3:30pm. Traffic will be maintained the majority of the time with the exception of lane closures necessary during 1 to 2 hour periods during approximately 3 days. Police will be on hand to direct traffic during closures and pedestrian detours will be provided.

New Farmers Market Location
This year the “Uptown” Thursday market and “Downtown” Tuesday market will join forces for the weekly Tuesday Hoboken Farmers Market located centrally at Church Square Park on Garden Street between 4th Street and 5th Street. The market will be open on Tuesdays from 2pm to 8pm from June 6th to November 21st. This year’s vendor will include Union Hill Farms, Melick’s Town Farm, Circle Brook Organic Farms, Pickle-icious, Dr. Pickle, Gina’s Bakery, JC Fish Stand, Naturalvert, Gourmet Fruits and Nuts, and Hoboken Farms.

The City has also been in discussions with NJ Transit and LCOR to activate Warrington Plaza with a temporary market. The City has provided LCOR with an agreement to activate the plaza, however LCOR has not yet been able to secure the necessary approvals from NJ Transit. LCOR is pursuing open the market in the summer of 2018 (View the letter from LCOR: www.hobokennj.gov/docs/communitydev/Letter-LCOR-Warrington-Plaza.pdf).

The City of Hoboken has developed a safety improvement plan for the Newark Street corridor between Jefferson Street and Willow Avenue that will be introduced for consideration by the City Council on Wednesday, May 3rd. The Council meeting will begin at 6:30pm with a presentation of the plan.

Challenges along the corridor include limited pedestrian crossings, vehicles parking on sidewalks, low rate of vehicles stopping for pedestrians in crosswalks, roadway geometry with poor sight lines, wide pedestrian crossings, high speed turns, lack of loading zones for deliveries, and no bicycle facilities.

“We are trying to make sure that our streets are safe for travel for all modes of transportation,” said Mayor Dawn Zimmer. “In particular, we need to address the fact that the majority of traffic injuries in Hoboken happen to pedestrians who are hit walking in marked crosswalks. Whether you drive, take public transportation, bike, or walk, everyone deserves streets that are safe.”

The plan includes sidewalk expansions (safety zone “curb extensions”) at corners to reduce pedestrian crossing distances and vehicle turning speeds and enhance visibility at conflict points, the addition of loading zones to accommodate deliveries, additional crosswalks including a mid-block crosswalk with a pedestrian refuge island between Jefferson Street and Adams Street, a physically separated eastbound bike lane along the south side of the street, and Rectangular Rapid Flash Beacon (RRFB) signs to enhance the frequency of drivers stopping for pedestrians at crosswalks. The County is also studying the feasibility of an All-Way Stop sign at Grand Street and Newark Street, and the City will incorporate the Stop sign into the plan if it meets the criteria required by NJDOT.

Last week, the City Council voted 9-0 on first reading on an ordinance to implement the Southwest Traffic Circulation plan. The plan would improve connectivity for vehicular traffic between Hoboken, Jersey City, and Union City, improve pedestrian safety in an area that is seeing more businesses, more residents, and soon, a new park, and result in a net increase in on-street parking spaces. A second reading of the ordinance will be held at the next Council meeting. Highlights of the plan, which based on Synchro and SimTraffic models of future traffic volumes is estimated to reduce traffic delays by more than 25 percent, include:

Opening up Jackson Street to two lanes by removing on-street parking and the bicycle lane.

Creating safe pedestrian access to the Southwest Park, businesses, and residences in the area while improving traffic flow by adding new traffic signals at Jackson Street at Observer Highway, Harrison Street at Observer Highway, and Madison Street at Observer Highway.

Fixing the gridlock at Monroe Street and Observer Highway that affects the entire southwest area. The three-way intersection of Monroe Street, Observer Highway, and Paterson Avenue requires longer traffic signal cycle lengths, creating significant traffic backups. By converting Paterson Avenue to one-way westbound between Monroe Street and Harrison Street, the intersection is simplified and allows for adding 20% more green time for Monroe Street and Observer Highway. This recommendation from the Hoboken-Jersey City Subregional Connectivity Study commissioned by Hudson County and funded by the NJTPA in 2011 was confirmed with traffic modeling by Hoboken’s engineer.

Opening Madison Street to create more options for entering Hoboken. The addition of a second turning lane on Madison Street between Newark Street and Observer Highway and allowing vehicles to go left, right, or straight from Madison Street by removing the existing bollards, will create a new option for entering Hoboken and greatly reduce vehicular volumes turning onto Jackson Street.

Converting the Jersey Avenue/Newark Street gateway into Hoboken from two to four lanes to improve circulation into and out of Hoboken, adding a dedicated right turn lane from Harrison Street onto Newark Street, and creating a second lane on Harrison Street for traffic turning east onto Observer Highway.

Optimizing the Hudson-Bergen Light Rail signal at the intersection of Paterson Avenue and Marshall Street to improve coordination with other southwest traffic signals and reduce delays caused by light rail crossings.

Adding parking along the south side of Paterson Avenue and west side of Jackson Street will help buffer the Southwest Park from traffic.

Mayor Dawn Zimmer invites all members of the community to a meeting to discuss proposed safety improvements to Newark Street between Willow Avenue and Jefferson Street. The meeting will take place on Thursday, February 16 at 7:00pm at the Multi Service Center, located at 124 Grand Street.

“Newark Street is a gateway corridor into Hoboken and one of the most heavily trafficked streets in our city,” said Mayor Zimmer. “Through this project, we have a chance to make the engineering changes necessary to make Newark Street safer for everyone.”

Challenges along the corridor include the roadway geometry with poor sight lines, wide pedestrian crossings, and high speed turns, frequent illegal parking on sidewalks by buses and trucks, limited pedestrian crossings, lack of bike facilities, and limited permeable surface.